Royal Rouser

News of Bethel University Athletics

Spring 2009 | photo by Carl Schmuland

Spring Sports

Men’s Tennis
The team finished 10-5 overall and 7-2 in conference play which was good for 3rd place in the MIAC and sent them to the MIAC playoffs for the third season in a row. The Royals returned three All-MIAC players from a year ago, including Tom Ronning (Jr., Alexandria, Minn.), David Torres (Sr., Arden Hills, Minn.), and Joel Cassens (Jr., Owatonna, Minn.). Over spring break, the team played three matches in the Orlando area.

Women’s Tennis
The Royals returned a majority of their team from a season ago and added newcomer Krista Nauman (Fr., Buffalo, Minn.). Nauman is 4-4 as the number five singles player. Bethel got its first win of the season against Webber International University while on a spring break trip to Orlando. The team faced a tough conference schedule and finished on a winning note against UW-Stout.

Men’s Track and Field
About 20 members of the men’s track took part in the Point Loma Invitational, hosted by Point Loma Nazarene University, in San Diego over spring break. Six individuals took the top spot in the event and three earned NCAA provisional qualifying times for the national championship meet. Eric Rhode (Jr., Oakdale, Minn.) has earned a provisional time in the 400-meter run, while Tyler Hinrichs (Jr., Clara City, Minn.) earned one in the 1500-meter run and Taylor Ferda (Jr., Whitefish, Mont.) earned a provisional mark in the 110-meter hurdles.

Women’s Track and Field
At the Point Loma Invitational, Marie Borner (Sr., Cottage Grove, Minn.) won both the 800-meter run and the 1500-meter run with times of 2:10.9 and 4:27.74, respectively. Borner’s time in the 800 breaks her own school record by four tenths of a second. Both her times were good for NCAA championship automatic qualifying standards.

Baseball
The Royals finished the season 19-19 overall and 10-10 in conference play. Over spring break, the team was in Fort Myers, Fla., playing 12 games in nine days and scoring more than 100 runs total. Bethel headed back north to open the MIAC season in the Metrodome against nationally ranked St. Thomas, and Travis Adams (Sr., Chanhassen, Minn.) pitched a 1-0 complete game shutout over the Tommies to earn MIAC Pitcher of the Week honors for his performance. The shutout was Bethel’s first over St. Thomas in more than 15 years.

Softball
Bethel’s softball team headed south to Clermont, Fla., facing tough competition, including an NAIA school, a Division II school, and two nationally ranked Division III teams. One of the highlights was a combined no-hitter thrown by pitchers Nea Harkness (Jr., Winthrop, Minn.) and Brianna Lyding (So., Scottsdale, Ariz.). The Royals finished the season 23-17 overall and 14-8 in conference play, which helped them earn their first-ever MIAC playoff berth.

Winter Highlights

Men’s Basketball
The Royals finished with an overall record of 20-7, while finishing the MIAC season at 14-6 (second place). The team won its first home playoff game since 2004 and advanced to the conference championship game for the first time since the 2001-02 season (their last 20-win season) before bowing out to St. Thomas.

Women’s Basketball
The team earned its first winning season in more than a decade at 15-12 overall. The Royals also posted a 13-9 conference record, allowing them to earn their second MIAC playoff berth in the last four years and win their first conference playoff game ever. Bethel defeated Gustavus for the first time under Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer, helping the team advance to the semifinals of the MIAC playoffs before being narrowly ousted by No. 1 Saint Benedict.

Men’s Hockey
The Royals finished the 2008-09 season with a 12-12-1 record overall and 8-8 in the MIAC. In a 6-3 win over St. Thomas to close the season, Brad Peterson (Sr., Bloomington, Minn.) became the 17th player in Bethel’s history to surpass 100 career points. Peterson finished his career with 102 points, while teammate Kent Bostrom (Sr., Vadnais Heights, Minn.) finished with 117.

Women’s Hockey
Bethel had the most successful season in the team’s 10-year history with an overall record of 11-9-4 and a conference record of 10-5-3. The Royals advanced to the MIAC playoffs for the second season in a row. Goaltender Beth Spurrier (Sr., Plymouth, Minn.) was named an RBK Hockey All-American and earned All-MIAC honors for the fourth season in a row. Meanwhile, Bethany Murphy-Aultman became Bethel’s first-ever 100 career-point scorer against St. Olaf and finished her collegiate playing days with 105.

Men’s Indoor Track and Field
Zach Schlegel (So., Woodbury, Minn.) became conference champion in the 600-yard dash, Tyler Hinrichs (Sr., Clara City, Minn.) in the mile run, and Jay Quick (So., Johnston, Iowa) in the high jump. For Quick, it was the second victory in the conference indoor championships, and he went on to compete in the national competition at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Ind. Eric Rhode (Jr., Oakdale, Minn.) also competed in the national meet in the 400-meter race, finishing sixth overall, helping him earn NCAA All-American status.

Women’s Indoor Track and Field
Two relay teams (4 x 200 and distance medley) came in first place at the conference championship, and Marie Borner won the conference championship in the 800-meter run, as well as the mile run. Borner earned Outstanding MIAC Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year honors for her performances and then went on to compete in the mile run at the national championships where she won the year before. Borner posted a time nearly three seconds better than in 2008 and finished second place overall, giving her NCAA All-American status. Vanessa Moore (Sr., Grantsburg, Wis.) also became an NCAA All-American with a fifth place finish in the high jump, clearing 1.61 meters (5 feet, 3.25 inches).